After his first visit to the transit centre for refugees in Slavonski Brod, where he was accompanied by former Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić, new Croatian Interior Minister Vlaho Orepić said that Croatia had been fulfilling its obligations fully and in a humane way. "Croatia is a safe and decent country. We are fulfilling our obligations in this migrant crisis. In fact, there is no crisis at all, since we are doing what is necessary in a decent and humane way", the minister said after the visit to the centre.
Asked how Croatia will proceed in the next period, the Minister briefly replied: "In accordance with the requirements", and announced that he will monitor the activities of the transit centre on a daily basis. "It is not proper to bring this whole problem just to the issue of whether there will be a wire fence on the border or not. This problem has several aspects", said Orepić who asked journalists to take their share of responsibility and not give in to sensationalism when reporting on the refugee crisis.
Former Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić said that Croatia had fulfilled all that was required and that the former government had not agreed to do anything that would jeopardize the security of the country. "I cannot predict what the future will bring. As the new minister said, I hope that Croatia will continue to have an opportunity to prove that it is a humane and safe country, that it will at all times respond to the changing situation and will not allow to become a hotspot", Ostojić said.
"I will be glad if this well-established system continues to function. We have ensured the safety of Croatian citizens, there have been no serious incidents and Croatia will be remembered as a country which has managed to do the right thing in this humanitarian crisis", said Ostojić. "This is not about one person, one politician, one minister. This is a matter of state and it is important that we help each other", concluded Ostojić.
Slovenian Interior Minister Vesna Gjerkeš Žnidar congratulated on Monday the new Croatian Interior Minister Orepić on his appointment and expressed her wish to meet with him as soon as possible to discuss the migrant crisis.
After a meeting of the EU interior ministers in Amsterdam, she said that the idea of Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar's proposal to establish the "second line of defence" of EU borders is not to isolate Greece, but rather to send a signal to potential migrants that the EU cannot accept them all. She added that Slovenia had also proposed the establishment of common European criteria for the admission or rejection of migrants into Europe and believes that Europe should help Macedonian police protect its border with Greece.
